


sunflower, my eyes, want you more than a melody

by serendiptitty



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Attempt at Humor, F/M, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Kissing, Love Square Fluff Week 2020, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Video & Computer Games, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22593928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendiptitty/pseuds/serendiptitty
Summary: Small separate drabbles for Love Square Fluff Week 2020!1: concert - (adrienette)2: faith, (trust) and pixie dust - (marichat)3. flowers - (ladrien)4. your voice - (adrienette)5. comfort - (ladynoir)6. au day  (gamers/streamers/long distance friends) - (ladynoir)7. reveal — (adrienette/ladynoir)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 79
Kudos: 280





	1. concert (adrienette)

**Author's Note:**

> hello all! welcome to my attempt at participating in fluff week!! please enjoy <3
> 
> (hastily beta'd as always!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a post reveal, pre-relationship adrienette drabble!

“I can’t believe your dad let you out of the house like that,” Adrien snickers. 

“I can’t believe your dad let you out of the _house_.”

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Adrien’s lips curve into a smug grin, eyes twinkling mischievously as he says, “At least I don’t look like I picked out my outfit blindfolded.” 

“What are you trying to say?” Nino frowns in Adrien’s direction, arms spread wide as if to say _look at what I’m wearing, bitch_. “I look pretty fresh, don’t I, Alya?” 

“Sure,” the red-head replies distractedly, tapping away on her mobile device without glancing in her boyfriend’s direction. “You look wonderful, babe.” 

“See, Alya agrees!” 

“She hasn’t even looked at you yet, Nino, _of course_ she agrees.” 

Nino spins around to glance at Marinette, smiling widely at her. “Ah, Nette! You’re the aspiring fashion designer of our lot. How do you think I look?” 

Eyes widening, Marinette shakes her head as well as her hands, the sound of a horn blaring to her left making her jump. “Uh uh, _nope_. I’m not getting involved in your marital spats, Adrino. Figure it out yourselves.” 

Adrien saddles up to press against her side, fluttering his eyelids down at her cutely. The scent of his cologne catches her off-guard and her breath hitches. “But Mari, look at him! He’s a disgrace to us eagle eye fashionistas!” He throws a dramatic arm over her shoulder, leaning most of his body weight against her. “Tell me you agree with me before I faint from shock.” 

Admitting to Adrien that she disagrees with him, though she’s sure _he_ even sees it as Nino looks pretty cool in his obscure outfit, doesn’t cross her mind in the slightest. The heat of his body resting against hers warms her from the inside out, goosebumps rising on her uncovered skin. 

Her heart races quicker than it does whilst running across rooftops with him. It nearly jumps out of her chest at the feel of his fingertips pressing against the pulse point on her wrist. She jumps away from him when he drags his nail over her pulse, narrowing her eyes at him. 

Adrien has the audacity to smirk at her, a lopsided one that causes her heart to sing. “So, Mari, how does Nino look?” 

“He looks _great_ , Adrien,” Marinette replies with a huff, straightening herself out and walking ahead of their group to cross the street before them.

That boy is going to give her a heart attack.

She hears his laughter all the way across the street. 

* * *

Adrien is a handsy drunk, she learns rather fast. 

The concert is in full swing, the four of them up close and personal with Jagged Stone as per Adrien’s bank account. The blond insisted, promising that the tickets barely put a dent in his pocket and purchased them for Nino’s birthday. 

(Marinette and Alya came up with the funds to pay him back for their share of the tickets. They’re just waiting for the perfect moment to spring it on him so he won’t try and reject them.)

Somewhere along the line, Nino and Alya went to get the four of them drinks, in celebration of Nino being the last of their group to turn eighteen. Marinette ended up accepting one drink as she promised she’d watch over the three of them, and near the end of the concert, the three of them were piss drunk. 

Alya and Nino to her right are hanging off one another, swaying to the heavenly rock music. Nino’s birthday was a few days ago, though they decided celebrating it on the day of the concert would fair better. He looks overjoyed, screaming the lyrics off-key at the top of his lungs with Alya laughing into his ear. 

To her left, Adrien stands with his front slightly pressed to her back, his arm thrown over her shoulder and his chin just barely brushing the top of her head. 

They’ve been teetering on the line between friends and _more_ for months, ever since their accidental reveal. It had happened so fast, on a day when the four of them were hanging out. An akuma popped up and Marinette made a dumb excuse, unaware that Adrien was following her—though he swears it was accidental. 

He told her that he’d seen her run into an alley whilst searching for his own place to transform, saw a bright pink glow and Ladybug jumped out moments later. Of course, as soon as he saw her, Adrien’s jaw dropped and he whispered out _my lady_. 

Adrien tried acting as if he hadn’t said anything, even jogged in the opposite direction immediately after. She wrapped her yo-yo around him and told him that they had to discuss it after the akuma.

So they discussed it. Lots of hugs and _I’m so happy it’s you_ ’s. Feelings weren’t mentioned at all; they were too blushy and afraid to risk it. 

Which leads Marinette to her current situation, a handsy Adrien Agreste running her heart ragged. 

_Dieu_. She’s such a sucker for him.

The touches were always soft, kind of fleeting and enough to drive her wild. The other day, he had briefly held her hand as they walked across a busy intersection, hands intertwined and all. 

(He claimed it was to make sure she was safe. She didn’t buy it.)

After the encore, the concert ends with a bang and they wait until the arena clears out a bit before exiting. Alya’s arm is looped through Marinette’s while she holds Nino’s hand. Adrien’s hand is on Marinette’s shoulder, thumb rubbing small circles into her sweaty back. 

The crowd is still tight, even with waiting ten minutes for it to clear out, so Adrien’s pressing into her back. It’s nice, she realizes, to have him so close. To have him at all. 

“I’m glad we came,” Adrien murmurs in her ear and squeezes her shoulder once, the tips of his soft blond hair caressing her cheek. “I had so much fun, Mari. Especially with you here.” 

“Sap,” Marinette grumbles under her breath as she tugs them all in the direction of the bus, Adrien settling against her side as space frees up. “You all brought cash, right?” 

“Mm,” the three of them say, flashing similar grins at her. 

Marinette rolls her eyes and settles behind all of them as they one-by-one get on the bus, inserting their cash into the small podium.

Alya does it easily, grinning at the bus driver and softly thanking him. 

Nino has a lot of trouble, constantly smashing his dollar into the machine rather than into the provided strip. She has to help him, ignoring the sheepish smile on his face. 

It’s his birthday week, so she allows it. 

Adrien’s quicker at it than Alya weirdly enough, Marinette wondering how he does it so efficiently. 

(When she asks him about it days later, he winks at her and says, “I can’t tell you all my secrets, can I?”)

The bus driver smirks at her, eyebrows slightly raised and he sends a nod in her friend’s direction. “You babysittin’ tonight?” 

“Yeah, we have a birthday going on, so I promised I’d be the designated sober,” Marinette replies with a laugh, slipping her dollars into the slot. “I’ll make sure they behave.” 

Considering how packed the concert had been, the bus is relatively empty. Nino and Alya are sprawled against one another in a corner of the bus, while Adrien sits next to the window and stares out of it. 

Marinette decides to sit on the seat in front of him, turning to look at him, a grin on her face. “How are you feeling?” 

“Sad,” Adrien mumbles, jutting out his lower lip. 

Tilting her head to the side, Marinette’s eyebrows furrow together. “Why are you sad?” 

His eyes drop to stare down at his hands in his lap, chewing on his lip and speaking incredibly fast, “ _Thebusdrivertookyourmoney_.”

_What?_

“What did you say?” She asks, jaw dropping slightly.

Adrien continues to frown, reaching into his pocket and tugging out a dollar. “I saw him take your dollar. That’s really fucked up.” 

“The bus driver?” Marinette’s so confused, he _has_ to be taking the piss. 

“Mm.” He hands her the dollar, frown still evident on his face.

“Let me get this straight,” she starts, eyeing him disbelievingly as she takes hold of the crisp dollar. “You’re upset because the bus driver took my money?” 

“Yes, that was rude of him,” Adrien replies as though it’s obvious, leaning forward to rest his elbows on her seat. “How is he going to take your dollar like that? It’s not right.” 

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Marinette slowly slides the dollar into her pocket and shakes her head fondly. “Thank you for the dollar, Adrien.” 

Adrien leans forward a little more, frown tilting into a grin on his face. He brushes her bangs off her forehead and plants a gentle kiss onto her warm, flushed skin. “Anything for you, my lady.” 

And if Marinette blushes a pretty shade of red the rest of the bus ride back, no one’s the wiser.


	2. faith, (trust) and pixie dust - (marichat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a pre reveal, post relationship marichat drabble!

“ _Marinetteeeee_ ,” Chat Noir groans unhappily as Marinette kicks her feet up into his lap, his hand immediately landing on her ankle. A claw trails over the small sliver of skin peeking between the end of her pants and the start of her socks. 

It tickles, her mouth clamping shut as she pulls herself together. “What’s up, cat?” 

“Can we watch something a little less,” he pauses at a loud _bang_ on the TV, wincing at the gruesome scene in front of them. “You know, uh, _disgusting_?” 

“You don’t like war movies?” To be honest, Marinette purposely put it on to watch Chat Noir squirm, as he was usually so well-put together when in front of Ladybug. 

Oh man, Alya’s right. She’s a jerk, sometimes. _Oh well_. 

Chat shakes his head a bit embarrassingly, eyes raking over the whole of Marinette’s pink room rather than meeting her eyes. “They gross me out,” he admits, reaching a hand to rub at the nape of his neck. “I don’t really like seeing movies like that. I prefer happier movies.” 

“What do you want to watch, then?” 

Tail whipping about at her words, happier immediately at a change in pace, Chat turns his body towards her and grins. “Do you like Disney?” 

“Who _doesn’t_ like Disney, you silly kitty?” 

“Stupid, _stupid_ people.” 

“Well, I’m not one of them,” Marinette reaffirms with a small smile. She digs her toes into his thighs with a laugh, squeaking as his hands tickle the bottom of her feet, reflexively twisting away from him. “ _Noooo_ I’m sorry, please,” she begs, unable to tug her legs free from his strength. 

It turns into an all-out tickling fight, Chat Noir having the upperhand because he’s transformed and Marinette can’t shove him off of her. His knees end up on either side of her hips as he tickles her neck, her sides, even her armpits without fail. “Say mercy!” 

“Never!” Marinette wheezes out through harsh bursts of laughter, head thrown back and eyes watering with how much she’s laughing. “Chat, _please_ , I’m going to pee my pants.” 

Slowly but surely, Chat gives in and stops tickling her, her hands wrapping around his wrists to make sure he’ll actually stop. Marinette can feel his heart racing through his suit, her thumb resting along his pulse point. She feels it quicken even more as his eyes glance from hers to her lips. 

“Kiss me,” she whispers, licking at her lips. “Please, Chat.” 

He does, his lips a little dry and the angle all wrong from how tall he is, but it’s amazing nonetheless. He presses his mouth just a tad bit firmer into hers, shifting his head so the angle is better and her heart spins. 

Marinette never thought she’d fall for Chat Noir, albeit now that she has, it’s everything she wants and _more_. 

While he’s distracted, Marinette takes the initiative and flips them over, her sitting on his mid-thighs as she breaks the kiss. “You let your guard down, kitty. You shouldn’t have trusted me, there,” she murmurs, a bit dazedly, and dives in to tickle him. She revels in his beautiful laugh, it so contagious that she’s laughing along with him, heart filling with warmth. 

“Why am I dating you?” Chat’s able to wheeze out, the biggest smile overtaking his face as he says it. 

“Because you _liiiike_ me,” Marinette teases him, rolling off of him and waiting until he sits up to curl into body. “How does _Peter Pan 2: Return to Neverland_ sound?” 

“ _All the world is made up of faith, trust, and pixie dust_ ,” Chat croons into her ear, offkey yet still super sweet. 

Marinette giggles, smacking a kiss into his cheek. “Stick to your day job, kitty.” 


	3. flowers (ladrien)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pre reveal pre relationship ladrien!

The florist closes in ten, Adrien’s just under twelve minutes away and the Gorilla is currently doing _112 kmh_ through the bustling streets of Paris to get him there before the store locks.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ he thinks to himself, window rolled down and his head sticking out the window a bit unsafely. 

The Gorilla glances at him through the rear-view mirror and grunts. 

Adrien knows he means business from the tone of it and settles into cushioned seat of the Mercedes-Benz. He rests his folded arms over the soft flap of the window, chin atop them. 

Paris flutters by in its pristine glory, shops upon shops, bakeries upon bakeries, people upon people. Lots of people that Adrien studies casually as he taps his fingers idly against the warm metal of the car. 

An orange-pink sky is slowly being tinkered away by midnight blue, a waning crescent tickling the edges of the sun out of view. Lingering remnants of summer and _warm_ fill the air, clinging to his skin, his face, the interior leather seats, even the flaps on the window.

 _17:55_ the clock reads, _tick tick tick_ edging into Adrien’s anxiety like a knife. 

He knows the Gorilla can’t drive faster. He understands that it’s _his_ fault for taking his sweet time dressing and undressing in different outfits. Plagg reminds him of it with a small snicker that’s not heard to his bodyguard. 

Max has told him time and time again that statistically speaking, the better chance he has of woo’ing a potential partner is to show he cares. Now he wonders whether his messily slicked-back hair, white button-up tucked into navy shorts and birkenstocks is overkill. 

Too late to go back and change, so Adrien rolls with it, plucking a loose strand of hair off his forehead before leaving it with a pout. ‘No matter how much gel I put in it, that piece always lets gravity win.” 

His comment pulls an unusual grin out of the Gorilla. 

_17:59_ and the Gorilla is skidding to a stop, Adrien hauling his ass out of the car and into the aesthetically-pleasing flower shop. Flowers upon flowers, beautifully-colored ones that are vibrant against the shops dark paneling fill his vision. 

It’s overwhelming and his brain hurts from overstimulation. 

An elder florist dressed in a light and airy skirt turns the corner and shocks Adrien enough for him to nearly fall over, steadying himself on the counter closest to him. It’s filled with bright colored peonies and hydrangeas he almost knocks off, fumbling to catch the beautifully arranged assortments. 

“You look lost,” the florist quips with a hint of amusement on her otherwise stoic face. 

“I am in desperate need of help,” Adrien replies, eyes wide as he scans the excessive amount of flowers and arrangements and _it’s all too much oh my god._

Said florist tilts her head to the side, tapping a patient foot on the ground. “Are you looking to send threatening flowers? Because that’s not really my thing,” she pauses, leaning in with twinkling eyes. “If you pay me a little extra, though…” 

“No, oh _god_ no, it’s just—It’s a special day for this girl I really care about and I want to show her how _much_ I care, if that makes sense.” Shuffingly awkwardly in place, Adrien’s hands twist into one another to stop himself from touching his neck. “I don’t want to go overboard either, even though I think she deserves every flower in this shop.” 

“If you’re not careful enough, _you_ might accidentally send her threatening flowers with that mindset,” Agnés—her name tag reads as she approaches him—tells him with slanted eyebrows. “Alright, lover boy. I’ve got you covered.” 

* * *

_Please still be here, please still be here, please—_

Oh _dieu merci_ , Adrien thinks as he slows his breathing from running across the _Champ de Mars_. Decorations scatter around the vicinity, Ladybug and Chat Noir themed merchandise lining the park in mobile kiosks. Balloons with their faces being held by small, crying children with overjoyous parents. 

Heroes’ Day is a time of celebration, filled with joy and love and happiness that warms Adrien to the brim. Him and Ladybug, plus all of the temporary miraculous holders, share in festivities that reminds the population of Paris that their savours are still human, like them. 

The extra time spent with Ladybug each year is an added bonus. 

Adrien left the celebrations a little early to find the Gorilla, grab his flower for Ladybug, and take off into a sprint across the grassed field behind _tour Eiffel_ to catch her before she left. 

Ladybug rounds the corner after signing a civilian’s signature book, clearly ready to leave, when Adrien calls her name loud enough for her to hear him. “Ladybug!” 

They practically bump into each other as they both try to round the corner synchronously. Ladybug’s eyes widen as she takes note of him and his trajectory, digging her feet into the ground to stop the seemingly inevitable crash. 

It doesn’t happen. 

Before either of them can ram into one another, Adrien’s free hand lands on Ladybug’s shoulder and halts their movements, warmth flooding to his cheeks. 

His hands burn, his cheeks burn, his whole body burns now that he’s here. 

‘Adrien Agreste?” Her voice is stricken and slightly shrill, so unlike the Ladybug he knows and has come to love that he almost—keyword being _almost_ —laughs. 

“H-Hi Ladybug,” he says, dumbly, cursing himself for acting so starstruck around her. _Get ahold of yourself, idiot, this is your partner for crying-out-loud_!

“Hello,” she replies a bit unsurely, her own cheeks matching her suit color. “Is everything okay?” 

_No_. _You’re too pretty for me to think clearly._ “Yes. I have something for you,” Adrien spits out, cringing internally at how blunt he is sometimes. “I wanted to get you something for Heroes’ Day—”

A smile grows on her face, a slow rise akin to a blooming flower. “That’s so sweet, Adrien! You really didn’t have to!” 

Shrugging his shoulders, the hand behind his back appears in front of him, showcasing his flower for her to see. 

It’s a red hibiscus with coral undertones, so vibrant in color it rivals that of her suit. The flower is encased in a small paper cup with intertwining colorful designs on it, soil and all. “I didn’t want to buy a pot for it because I wanted you to find one that suited your room, or something,” he trails off dumbly at the expression on her face, slightly panicking. “If you don’t like it, I can always get you another? I mean, the florist I went to doesn’t open until tomorrow, but—” 

“— _Adrien_ ,” Ladybug interrupts, her hand finding his bicep with a pretty smile on her face that has Adrien’s stomach soaring. “Please, it’s perfect. _Don’t you take this flower away from me_.” 

Adrien chokes at her words, eyes dipping to glance at her hand before they raise to meet hers, except—

She’s leaning _in_. 

Time stops. Adrien’s lucky his grip on the cup is tight as Ladybug’s soft, plump lips graze his cheek. Her lips touch the corner of his mouth and it sends shocks through his body as she takes the paper cup from him. “Thank you. This is one of the nicest gifts anyone’s ever gotten me.” 

“Am I dead?” His brain-to-mouth filter is gone, eyes widening in mortification at her giggle—the cutest giggle he’s ever heard.

“Not yet, no,” Ladybug tells him through her quiet laughs, blinking up at him through her eyelashes. “As much as I would love to stay and chat—”

_Heh. Chat._

“—I must be going now. Thank you again for the flower, Adrien. It’s really lovely.” 

With a surge of confidence and determination, Adrien gently grabs one of Ladybug’s gloved hands in his. Lips graze over the top of her hand, across the ridge of her knuckle and the dip where her fingers meet her hand. “Get home safe,” he whispers, smiling stupidly at her. 

“I—I,” Ladybug stutters, her eyes wide and mouth ajar. “I’ve gotta go,” she squeaks out, quickly but carefully ripping her hand out of his and yo-yo’ing away. 

“You two are disgusting,” Plagg grumbles in Adrien’s shirt pocket, face-palming with his tiny hands.

(Later on, Marinette buys a pot and decorates it with her paints and keeps the flower tucked away in Tikki’s garden so it lives longer). 

((Tikki tells her to google the flower and Marinette has a near stroke when she realizes the symbolizing behind Adrien giving it to her)).

(((Ladybug shows up at Adrien’s house and kisses those same words into his mouth, forehead, and cheeks until he believes her))).


	4. your voice (adrienette)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> can honestly be read as either pre/post reveal pre relationship adrienette!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like i might've dropped the ball a little on this one? but who knows, maybe its my 1 am brain being extra critical. thank you for all the comments!!! i promise i will get to all of them and respond to them once i have time <3
> 
> warning for slight foul language, though it's nothing terrible, just adrien mistyping words!

Marinette’s morning went a little like this: 

Waking up thirty minutes past her alarm—one that literally screams into her ear, Marinette skirted the line of _obnoxiously late to class_ and _tardiness doesn’t suit you, ms. dupain-cheng_ by busting through the classroom doors ten minutes after the bell had already rang. Her clothes were sopping wet from the rain outside and her inability to be prepared for Paris’ sporadic rainstorms. An excuse that was so incredibly untrue and fallible resided on the tip of her tongue, but her teacher had just sighed and ushered her to her seat. 

Only to notice that her seat was taken by a certain dad-hat wearing boy and the only seat open was next to Adrien. 

Naturally, her first instinct was to glare at Nino and Alya, both of whom had identical smirks in lieu of her flushed expression. Secondly, she'd decided to raise her chin high and drop into the empty seat, ignoring the stares and whispers she received from literally everyone in the room. 

Adrien nudges her with his shoulder and a small smile meant only for her, waving with one hand—mostly his pointer and middle fingers. 

“Hey,” she whispers in response, fumbling to open her bag and tug out her half-charged tablet. 

Passing of time allowed for the squeaking tendences Marinette had while she was around Adrien to fade into small, subtle stuttering over words every now and then. Though her crush on him has only amplified into something akin to love or at the very least intense infatuation, their friendship has blossomed from a weaved-tight-in-a-cocoon pupa to a fully-grown, magnificently-colored butterfly.

With adulthood around the corner, Marinette lives for the small moments with her friends and family. Her world is going to shift from being coddled to overbearing in a matter of seconds. _We’re the Millers_ replays in her brain over and over, _no ragrets_ embedded deep in the _what the fuck_ parts of her mind. 

Marinette takes pride in the day going fairly well up until lunch, Adrien whisked away for a photo shoot before she can get a word in otherwise. He two-finger salutes them with a side-smile that’s so achingly similar to Marinette her heart aches and brain tries to scratch the itch she’s feeling.

 _Think Marinette, think_. 

Alya, Nino, and her sit down at their usual table, spot open for Adrien in case he comes back a bit early—though they know the likelihood of that is slim to none. 

(Out of all the times they’ve held his spot, only once has he strolled in minutes prior to the final bell, in complete confusion over the lack of a body in his everyday seat. 

Nino explained it all to him and a very rare, genuine smile appeared on Adrien’s face that warmed their hearts.) 

“Quick question,” Marinette says, arms crossing over her chest as she drops her tray onto the hot to the touch table. Nino cowers slightly at her glare. “Why were you in my seat, Nin _hoe_? I nearly had a heart attack walking into class.” 

Nino goes to open his mouth but Alya beats him to it, smirking. “Maybe if you would’ve made it to class on time—”

“—my alarm didn’t go off—”

“—then you’d know that sunshine has laryngitis, so his only way of communicating with us is through terrible hand gestures, texts, writing, or this _stupid_ text-to-speech app he downloaded.” 

Perking up as the tone of the conversation shifts ever-so-slightly, Nino sits up straighter in his seat and grins. “You should’ve _heard_ the things that were coming out of that robot’s mouth. I mean tablet’s speaker,” he pauses, scratching his head. “Whatever it is. Look, all I know is that I haven’t laughed that hard in a hot minute.” 

“So then _how_ did you end up in my seat?” 

This time, Nino’s expression turns sheepish as Alya laughs, hands flying about as she speaks, “Adrien’s robot voice told Nino to, and I quote, ‘ _Go sit with Alya before I flick you in the noggin_ ’.” 

All Marinette can picture is a pouty Adrien pointing to the seat behind them as a cackling Nino drags himself towards her unused chair and Marinette portrays Adrien by giggling, so hard that she clutches her stomach. “Oh, oh that’s too good!” 

“It gets even better.” Nino’s grinning too wide and his eyes are lit with humor. “When we had to do the pop quiz, _which you missed by the way_ , he tried to hand gesture to me that he needed a pen, right?” 

And, _oh no_ , Marinette knows by the tone of Nino’s voice where this is going. 

“So I told him to use his text-to-speech since I didn’t understand him,” Mirth swims around in Nino’s eyes as he talks vividly, the calm boy Marinette’s used to suddenly gone. “So at _full volume_ , he types into the app and it says, ‘ _Nino, can I please have a penis?_ ’ I thought I was going to have a stroke.” 

“No way,” Marinette chokes out, previous giggles lackluster in comparison to her full-belly laughter over Nino’s retelling of class this morning. “This is the one time I regret being late.” 

On their way back to class after lunch, Alya whips out her phone with her wired headphones, placing one of them in Marinette’s ear. She watches as Adrien’s face reddens so quickly, so unlike his elegant, yet nonchalant stature as soon as the robotic voice is heard. (His small smile afterwards indicates he’s not actually upset, just a tad embarrassed.)

“That poor boy!” Marinette’s laughter echoes through the halls and lasts until they arrive at the classroom. 

* * *

“ _Marinette,_ ” a _very_ robotic voice says to her left as class ends for the day, jolting Marinette from her daydreams about defeating Hawkmoth and living a simplistic life as a fashion designer. 

Not about the pretty model with a heart of gold that tugs on her heartstrings sometimes, nope.

“Adrien?” She questions as she purses her lips together to not laugh at the robotic voice. Half of their class immediately piles out of the room once they’re dismissed, letting their conversation become a little more private. 

Pausing his typing to gauge her reaction, Adrien’s eyes flicker from his furious typing on his tablet to her face. “ _Alya showed you the video from earlier, didn’t she_?” 

_How does he know? Is he a psychic or something?_ “W-What do you mean? What video?” 

Adrien sends her a slightly unamused look and Marinette’s lips quirk into a grin, arm coming up to drape over the top of the bench behind him. His eyes glance at her hand, which just barely—accidentally, she swears it—grazes his shoulder. He scoots slightly closer to her so the back of his shoulder is pressed against the front of hers, eyes blinking as if to say _is this okay?_

 _Always for you_ , she thinks, biting her lip.

Instead of a verbal answer, Marinette lays her arm over his shoulder and allows him to settle against her body, in a half hug. “Are you feeling okay?” 

Head resting in the crook of her neck, Adrien grunts and mutters hoarsely, “Hurts.” 

“Adrien, no offense, but your voice sounds like shit. Use your app.” 

The noise he makes can barely be considered human, and Marinette squeezes his shoulder with her hand as she laughs gently. She turns her head and her lips brush the top of his hair in a fleeting kiss, Adrien stilling against her. 

Shit. “Adrien, I’m so sorry, that was crossing a line, I—” She goes to pull away from him, but he stops her immediately, reaching for the tablet and hastily typing. 

“ _Nooooo-o-o-o-ooooh, Marinette it’s okay. It felt really rice._ ” The blush that crosses Adrien’s face is so cute, so sweet, so endearing that Marinette can’t help but wrap her other arm around him and tug him closer to her. 

For the first time ever, Marinette isn’t the one embarrassing herself in front of Adrien.

Huh, that’s new. 

“Well, your hair feels really _poft_ ,” she tells him with a small giggle, his lips curling up amusedly as his green eyes meet hers.

Embarrassing himself even more, Adrien types, “ _Your farms are really strong. You could probably break me in half like it was muffin._ ”

“ _That’s_ what you choose to say? That I could break you in half like muffin?” 

She has no idea what this means for them, whether _this_ is something or if it’s a fleeting moment in their timeline. Whatever it is, she’s excited and ready. 

Adrien let out a small whine, jutting his lower lip out prettily. “ _Stop making fun of the dick kid, Mari! It’s not nice._ ”

“That one was on purpose, wasn’t it?” 

The smirk on Adrien’s face says it all.


	5. comfort - (ladynoir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pre reveal pre relationship ladynoir!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the comments! i've slowly started going through every comment i've been left so i'll get to yours if i haven't soon
> 
> enjoy <3
> 
> Vananoir (on tumblr) and I collabed on this day!!!! Look at the art she drew for it <3   
> [Click here to see it!](https://vananoir.tumblr.com/post/190767432229/fluff-week-day-5-comfort-collab-with-multibugs)

Something’s wrong.

Ladybug senses it as soon as her feet land on top of the roof with a small thud, yo-yo snapping back into place with a magica _click._

Chat Noir’s flattened ears against the top of his head are a dead giveaway as to how he’s feeling, body ever-so-slightly curling in on itself. He’s humming a quiet tune, nearly silently, arms wrapped around himself. 

It’s dark for once, a sharp contrast to their usual cinematic backgrounds—sans sandman, and Ladybug pitters towards her partner, wincing at her too-loud footsteps in their quiet setting. 

“Hey, kitty,” she decides in the end, depositing herself next to him. 

One of his ears perks up at her arrival and words, small smile spreading onto his face. “Hey, LB.” 

The smile doesn’t reach his eyes, a feature so striking to Ladybug that she almost does a double take. She’s never seen him so down, so lifeless and sad. He’s usually so happy, parading around with radiant smiles and cunning smirks. 

Chat’s never sad, at least not without a viable reason for being so. And if he is, he doesn’t show it around her, won’t let Ladybug see that side of him. 

So, yeah, she’s worried about him. 

“You ready for patrol?” She inwardly curses herself as soon as she asks it, hand rubbing her forearm. “I-I mean, _no_ , okay, screw patrol. What’s wrong?” 

She can see the slightly taken-aback expression on his face with his wide eyes and mouth agape. Only when she scoots closer to him does she notice his tear-stricken cheeks. “I’m fine,” Chat tries, though he can’t look at her. 

“Bullshit. Don’t lie to me, _chaton_. Talk to me, come on. I know I’m a stickler sometimes, but I’m your partner.” 

Letting out a soft sigh, Chat turns his body so only one of his legs is hanging off the roof. The other rests against the ledge, his knee knocking into the side of her thigh. “It’s kind of personal?” 

“Then be vague. I can’t help you if you tell me nothing,” Ladybug suggests, copying Chat’s movements so their knees are touching. “I want to help.” 

“My girlfriend of six months broke up with me today.” Chat’s head is turned away from her, his eyes peering over the beautiful city that is Paris, no doubt trying to lose himself in the twinkling lights. 

_Girlfriend_? She didn’t even know he was dating, let alone that he’s had a girlfriend for six months! It makes sense, if she thinks about it hard enough; his constant flirting and lack of concentration in battles took each other’s place the older they got. 

Disappointment was quickly replaced by happiness, which settles over the fleeting pit in her stomach. _No_ , she thinks, shaking her head. _That’s not fair to him_. 

It’s not his fault she was late to the party with her feelings. 

“Oh man,” she replies, a beat too late. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry, kitty. That’s so shit.” 

Chat shrugs his shoulders and idly swings the foot not pressing into her leg, his hand trailing along the concrete ledge. “She said that it was because I’m apparently ‘not invested enough in her’.” 

“What? You of all people ‘not invested’?” Her eyebrows skyrocket up, so far up that she feels like they must be touching her hairline. “There’s no way. That’s a load of crap.” 

“That’s what I said.” He runs a frustrated hand through his hair, an unnatural brooding expression lingering on his face. “I’m not that type of person. Once I’m all in, I give you my all. Granted, I may not have loved her the way she did me, but it could’ve gotten there had she given it a chance.” 

“You didn’t deserve that,” she tells him, truthfully, her hand coming up to rest against his knee at the defeated look on his face. “You’re such a good person. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you.” 

That brings a genuine, albeit tiny, smile onto his face. He finally looks at her, the first look he’s given her since she arrived, and it lights up her insides with how soft it is. “Thank you, Ladybug. So do you.” 

“C’mon, I know how to make you feel better.” With a quick nudge to his knee, she hops off the ledge and tries to pull him up by his hand, much to Chat’s amusement. “Chat, _pleaaase_.” 

“Only because you asked so nicely.” There’s the Chat Noir she knows and loves. 

He follows her movements, towering over her once he’s standing straight, and Ladybug has to tug him down by the same hand she had grabbed earlier so she can lock her arms around his neck. She feels him stiffen for the briefest of moments, then he snakes his arms around her waist and hugs her tight, her body lifting off the ground as he straightens his back out.

Ladybug squeals and tightens her grip around him, slightly flustered as her view is of the _tour Eiffel_ comes into view. It's beautiful, truly, the glimmering lights in the distance reminding her of how much she loves the city and her partner. “Put me _downnnn_!” 

“Never,” her partner murmurs teasingly, giving her body one last squeeze before setting her on the ground. His arms don’t leave her waist, his head laying overtop hers. “You’re a good friend, Bug.” 

Friend. It stings a little yet her heart still soars, still beats a tick too quick. “So are you, Chat. I’m lucky that you’re my partner.” 

Chat’s first grin of the night is brought out by her words and she counts that as a success. 

“Alright, enough cute shit. Follow me, kitty.” She wrestles out of his arms, grabs her yo-yo, and flings herself off the building. 

“Wait for me!” Laughter from the two of them fills the air as they zip through the city, contagious giggles and happiness floating around them.

* * *

“You have a little something on your face,” Ladybug says as she takes a lick of her ice cream, lips tilted into a smirk. She points to the side of her mouth to show him where the ice cream lingers.

Scrunching his nose up, Chat tries to use his tongue to get it but it’s the wrong side. “Is it gone?” 

“No.” With a fond shake of her head, Ladybug reaches her hand up and swipes the ice cream from the corner of his mouth, licking it off her finger. “Mm. Chocolate. Yummy.” 

She’s aware of Chat’s falter in step, in him stopping in place and no longer walking next to her. Her lips break into a smile until she hears Chat drawl out a long whine and a sad little _noooo_. Turning around, Ladybug quickly covers her mouth at the pout on Chat’s face. 

He’d dropped his ice cream on the ground.

“Silly kitty,” she says aloud, eyes filled with mirth as she steps toward him, unaware of how the lights bounced off her and made her look angelic—Chat noticed. “How’d you manage that?”

“Don’t you _dare_ ,” Chat grumbles sourly, sending her a pointed glare with a cross of his arms. “You owe me your ice cream for making me drop mine.” 

Letting out a laugh, Ladybug shakes her head and takes a quick step back, which Chat follows. “Chat, think rationally about this—”

“Hm, were you thinking rationally when you cleaned my face with your finger and then _licked_ it?” He slowly steps towards her as she moves backwards, her grin never slipping off her face at his grumpily flushed expression. 

“I’m _always_ the rational one. I can be irrational sometimes,” Ladybug quips, licking her ice cream where it’s slightly starting to melt. 

“I don’t know if that’s how it works,” he replies with a raised eyebrow, grinning as Ladybug’s back hit a wall he’d indirectly got her to move towards. “Looks like the cat caught the bug after all.” 

Ladybug stares up at him as Chat Noir closes the distance between them, placing his hands on either side of her body on the wall. She ignores the side of her brain that itches to correct his words, and says, “So, what’re you going to do now that you’ve caught me?” 

Chat’s face twists in thought, head tilting to the side and eyes looking upwards. “Hm, I think I’ll—” He lowers one of his hands from the wall and winds it around the one holding the ice cream, and grins. “—take a lick of the ice cream that is deservingly _mine_.”

And he does just that.

“You sly cat,” she mumbles under her breath as his eyes twinkle down at her, dimples appearing at the corner of his mouth as he grins. 

“Don’t worry,” he starts, leaning in to press a sticky kiss to her cheek, more in appreciation than anything else. “We can share.”


	6. au day (gamers/streamers/long distance friends) - (ladynoir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gamers/streamers/long distance friends pre reveal pre relationship ladynoir!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg i can't believe there's only ONE MORE DAY of prompt week!!!! so excited for tomorrow's reveal day!!!
> 
> if you guys like the idea of this fic, please let me know if you would like it turned into a full story!! i have so many ideas for it and stuff that would last even AFTER the reveal so it could be a pretty big fic to tackle. if there's interest, i might take it on! 
> 
> the game i'm describing without mentioning names is fornite but you can probably choose any multiplayer game to suit it if you ignore the building aspect
> 
> enjoy!!!!!

“ _Carapace_ , you better revive me this instant or we’re breaking up,” Rena Rouge screams through Adrien’s headset, virtually rendering him deaf. 

“There’s a guy on me, Rena. I’m _trying_ ,” the other boy on their team huffs, which doesn’t dissuade Rena’s yelling _at all_. 

In fact, she gets even louder. “Cara, he’s literally dancing on me, oh my _god_ _if somebody doesn’t save me before I get fully killed_.” 

“We’re on our way,” Adrien tells her, though he’s not exactly telling the truth. 

Him and Ladybug are sitting in a small box they’ve built after finishing a fight with other players. They _were_ about to go help their teammates when Rena started her rampage on Carapace and they decided it was more fun to sit back and watch them struggle. 

At Adrien’s words, Ladybug does an emote that makes her laugh and her character sounds like a donkey wheezing its way through a fit of giggles. Adrien copies her, and before he knows it, the two of them are laughing into their headsets which spurs on groans from Rena and Carapace. 

“Well maybe if the two of you wouldn’t have gone ahead of us without telling us,” Rena grumbles sourly. 

“Oh stop being such a crybaby, Ren,” Ladybug tells her through her laughter, her and Adrien quickly exiting their box as Nino gets hit and loses damage. “Just because you died to fall damage again and got carried into a box by another player to get danced on—”

Rena makes an inhumane noise, her character spinning on the screen as if she’s thrashing her mouse around. “Let me live, Ladybug! Not all of us have the grace you do when it comes to playing this game.” 

“True,” Ladybug agrees, managing to make her way into Rena’s box before Carapace does—Rena’s _not_ going to let him live that down. “If you want me to revive you, say _Ladybug has a thick ass and Chat Noir doesn’t_.” 

It’s Adrien’s turn to groan now. “Hey, that’s not nice, Bug! My ass is thick and you know it.” 

It goes silent for a few seconds. 

“Do I, Chat? Do I really?” An ounce of amusement is evident in Ladybug’s voice as she talks, Rena’s health counter ticking close to her death. “You wish,” she says, instead.

Rolling his eyes with a grin, Adrien drops the conversation and playfully pouts after Ladybug revives Rena once Rena says her silly phrase. “Rena, I thought you loved me,” Adrien fake-cries with a pout, knowing his chat will clip it and send it to Rena. “I thought what we had was special.” 

“Sorry, cat. Carapace is the only man for me. If he ever leaves me, though,” Rena trails off, fully healing her character. 

“I’m going to build up and jump off if you keep talking like that,” Carapace replies, building up three times before Rena knocks it down, blowing a kiss at him in game.

“As if I’d ever trade you for a _furry_ , babe.” 

The whole furry talk is so funny to Adrien, because he _knows_ he’s not. All four of them picked animals to go by—Ladybug’s being the exception. Adrien’s secret identity is a cat, Rena’s a fox, Ladybug’s is self explanatory, and Carapace is a turtle. 

Letting go of his push to talk button, Adrien regards his chat for a moment, sending a pout their way. “I’m not a furry, right chat?” 

As always, their flood of _yes_ doesn’t surprise him.

“Traitors,” Adrien hisses, his character getting the last kill to win the game. “The lot of you. Every single person in this chat room is a traitor."

Hundreds of variations of _love me, senpai_ ’s scroll over his screen. “I’ll turn off stream, you nasties!” 

That only encourages them more. 

* * *

**ladyboob:**  
which one of you changed my name  
tell me before i rage the heat of a thousand suns

 **turtle boy:**  
wasb’t me ms. ladyboob pls don’t send me to the principal   
wasn’t*

 **ren:**  
name change? whatever are you talking about?

 **turtle boy:**  
way to give yourself away there rena 

**ren:**  
lalalala i can’t hear you

 **right chat:**  
Dorks.   
Wait, who changed my name? Give it baaaack.  
I’m not hip. I don’t know how to change nicknames. 

**ren from ren and stimpy:**  
that’s what the person who changed ladybug’s name _would_ say  
okay which one of you hoes

 **ladyboob:**  
definitely not the person with ladyboob as their name  
huh

 **ren from ren and stimpy:** **  
**fair  
that’s very fair lb  
turtle boy are u ready to go to the movies or not we’re gonna miss it

 **turtle boy:** **  
**im literally outside rena

 **ren from ren and stimpy:** **  
**oh shit im out later ladynoir!

 **right chat:** **  
**Did she just call us Ladynoir?

 **ladyboob:** **  
**first its ur chat and now rena’s in on it next they’re going to shove us into a room together and tell us to make out

 **right chat:** **  
**;)

 **ladyboob:** **  
**shut up

DIRECT MESSAGES  
@Ladybug aka _ladyboob_ , _Ladybug_ , _special agen…_

 **Ladybug:** **  
**hey

 **Chat Noir:** **  
**Bug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 **Ladybug:**  
too many !’s calm down tiger  
one day i’ll get you to drop the grandpa typing

 **Chat Noir:** **  
**Grandpa typing???? I type exceptionally well. You’re just jealous.

 **Ladybug:** **  
**jealous of sounding like a 40 yr old trying to learn how to type for the first time?  
no thanks

 **Chat Noir:** **  
**So mean, Bug!  
What’s up?   
**  
****Ladybug:**  
nothing   
can’t a girl talk to her best friend? 

**Chat Noir:** **  
**You only private message me when something’s happened.  
Or if it’s personal.

 **Ladybug:**  
liar liar plants for hire

 **Chat Noir:**  
It’s pants on fire, Patrick. 

**Ladybug:** **  
**ughhhhh its just stupid thirsty boys in my twitch chat  
they keep coming into my chat and telling me to take my shirt off  
or take off the mask so they can _fantasize_ about me when they’re  
y’know

 **Chat Noir:  
** What the hell? Do you want me to come into your chat the next time you’re streaming?  
I’ll say something, I don’t care.   
I’m sorry, though.

 **Ladybug:** **  
**if ur not live then could u?  
like i know its a lot to ask   
but i trust you more than anyone so  
also you just being there would help

 **Chat Noir:** **  
**Don’t worry, Bug. I’ll be there.  
I’d do anything for you.

 **Ladybug:** **  
**thank u kitty  
ur the best friend a girl could ask for

 **Chat Noir:** **  
**If anyone’s the lucky one here, it’s me.  
You’re the best, Ladybug.   
Such a beautiful human, inside and out.

 **Ladybug:** **  
**shut up u stupid cat before i cry  
u dont want that on ur hands do u?

 **Chat Noir:** **  
**Noooo!! No tears. :(

 **Ladybug:** **  
**too late im a sobbing mess  
my makeups ruined   
how can i go on like this?

 **Chat Noir is calling…** ****

Ladybug’s laughter immediately fill his ears as she picks up, settling the worry lingering in Adrien’s chest. “You didn’t think I was _actually_ crying, did you kitty?” 

“It’s hard to tell through messages,” Adrien murmurs a bit embarrassedly, rubbing at the back of his neck, even though she can’t see him. “I wanted to make sure, okay?” 

“God, you’re so sweet,” is what she replies with, in a fond tone that sinks its teeth into Adrien’s heart and does weird things to his stomach. _She’s just a friend. She’s just a friend. She’s just a—_ “One day we’re going to meet, and I’m going to give you the biggest hug.” 

Allowing a smile to form on his face, Adrien hums, tapping his fingers into his desk. “You’ll need a step ladder to reach me, Bug.” 

“ _That’s it, I’m hanging up_.” 


	7. reveal — adrienette/ladynoir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pre reveal pre relationship adrienette/ladynoir!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaAAAAAAaand that's a wrap for fluff week!!! wow i actually finished it im GENUINELY SURPRISED. thank you to everyone who has loved and supported this! y'all mean the world to meeee <3
> 
> also thank u to the adrien protection squad for a uh... certain particular moment put in here... (if you know you know)

Church bells ring through the foyer with an essence of nostalgia from Adrien’s younger days—his mother and him would attend fancy weddings for years and laugh at the expensive, unnecessary items people would scatter around their wedding venues. 

Adrien’s favorite was the golden duck with diamonds encrusted in its eyes that shot water out if its mouth into a fountain. 

Sometimes, he can’t fathom how much time has gone by since he gained his miraculous at thirteen. Six years later, lots of awkward puberty growth spurts and voice changes and here he is, watching two of his best friends get married.

It feels like forever, yet also like no time has gone by. Time is strange and fluctuates weirdly in Adrien’s opinion.

“I can’t believe I’m married,” Nino says from his left, the two of them sneaking through the foyer and out a side door to get a breath of fresh air. “I mean, I _can_ , because I love Alya like no tomorrow, but…” 

“But you never thought you’d get here?” Adrien asks, voice gentle.

Nodding his head, Nino flexes his fingers out and stares down the dark alley. “Yeah, exactly. I know a lot of people think we’re too young—”

“To hell what other people think!”

“I know, I know. I just… I’ve known since we were kids, you know? I know it sounds weird and I know you probably think I’m talking out of my ass.” 

Nudging shoulders with Nino, Adrien stretches his back out and glances at his best friend. “I’ll only think you’re talking out of your ass if you say ‘I know’ one more bloody time.” 

“You spend _one_ year on and off in London for work and you come back talking like you were born and raised there!” 

“I resent that,” Adrien grumbles. 

“I don’t know about that, Adri—”

The metal door creaks open behind them, the chatter and excitement from the reception floating out to wrap them up like a blanket. Marinette, dolled up in her maid-of-honor dress that fit her like a glove, sticks her head out and grins over at them. “Hey boys! Alya was wondering where you’d gone off to.” 

“Does she need me?” Nino goes to run inside, face dropping to a concerned expression before Marinette can edge a word in otherwise. 

Marinette stops him with a gentle hand to her chest, opening the door further and fully coming into view. “Relax, loverboy. Alya just wants to dance with you. No need to panic.” 

“Duty calls.” The moon is the only thing illuminating them as Nino pats Adrien on the chest with a grin, slipping past Marinette to go find Alya inside. The door snicks shut behind him, Marinette glancing at it before over at Adrien. 

“Hey there, stranger.” 

“Hey, Mari!” Quickly, Adrien steps forward to bring the smaller girl into his arms and hug her. He hasn’t seen her in forever, not since graduation at the very least. “Wow, it’s been a bit while, hasn’t it?” 

Laughing slightly, Marinette returns the hug for a split second before they break apart, her hand wrapping around her forearm in an old, nervous tick. She avoids his eyes by smoothing out the skirt of her dress. “Yeah! As much as I’ve loved texting you, I think I prefer seeing your reaction to memes in person.” 

‘Yeah, well, I don’t think anything will beat that time you made a joke in _terminale_ and it made Kim shoot soda out of his nose and hit the girls at the table in front of us.” Adrien’s laughing, back slightly arching forward as he places a hand on his knee to steady himself. “I almost peed my pants.” 

“That wasn’t my intention,” Marinette says, through her own bouts of laughs, her long hair falling over the front of her shoulders. “I tried to apologize to them and you kept pulling me back!” 

His hand rests on her shoulder as he grins, speaking quickly, “ _Marinette_ , I couldn’t let you get fed to the pack wolves!” 

Adrien notes her bangs have thinned out since _terminale_ , maturing her face a little. Her dress is a simple bright red strapless, cinching at her waist and flowing outward until it hits her thigh, where a small slit shows off one of her legs. 

The striking realization that she looks _so_ much like Ladybug hits him like a tidal wave. 

Suddenly, the alleyway is too small, claustrophobia settling into his bones. 

“You want to go for a walk? We can make it back before they notice we’re gone,” Adrien suggests, itching to slink out of the narrow space. 

‘Sure,” she says, tucking a piece of her curled hair behind her ear.

Marinette leads them out of the alleyway and around the corner, where _La Seine_ flows in all of its glory. Glittering lights romanticize the strip, only outshone by the _tour Eiffel_ itself. The season is shifting from the last remnants of autumn to winter, the air frigid and cold. Tree leaves a beautiful mixture of orange, red, and brown in its wake, whispering a gentle aura over Paris. 

It’s Adrien’s favorite time of year.

“Do you ever feel like we’re lucky?” Marinette rests a bare elbow onto the stone railing, her body half turned towards him. 

“Lucky?” Adrien asks, frowning when he notices he shiver. It’s small, and she doesn’t say anything, so he shrugs off his jacket and slides it over her shoulders. 

He smiles when he watches her sink into it, and continues, “How so?” 

“So many people never get to experience this,” she says, gesturing to the city around them without knocking his jacket off her shoulders. Her eyebrows raise as she talks, “Yet we do. There are people that have so much less than we do and we worry about the most miniscule inconveniences.” 

Rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, Adrien copies her stance and rests both of his on the railing, chin settling on his palm as he looks at her. “While that’s very much true,” he starts, taking in the slight frown on her face, nudging her ever-so-gently with a wink. “I already know that you help _much_ more than the average person, Mari.”

Her face freezes, grip loosening on the jacket enough to where it almost slips off. “What?” 

“Was that the wrong thing to say?” His voice is gentle as he asks, genuine confusion on his face.

“Adrien,” she says, her words choked. 

Turning fully to her, Adrien blinks at their height difference, even with her in heels. “I’m sorry? You just love to help people—” 

“Don’t,” she whispers, eyes flittering from his face to the river in rapid succession. 

He’s confused, he’s _so_ confused.

“Don’t _what_? I’m just trying to give you a compliment, Marinette—”

Suddenly, Marinette turns to him, fierce look in her eyes with her hands gripping the lapels of his jacket. “Who told you? Or did you figure it out on your own?” 

“Told me _what_?” Slightly taken aback, Adrien stands to his full height above her, his arms crossing over his chest. “I don’t even know what you’re _talking_ about, Mari.” 

Marinette’s gaze is rooting him to the spot with a calculating look, one so familiar that his brain nearly rewires itself. She seems to find what she’s looking for in his eyes and her shoulders droop, her lips curled into a frown. It reminds him eerily of his spotted partner. 

It strikes him how this isn’t the first, but the _second_ time tonight he’s compared Marinette to Ladybug, however unintentional it’s been. He can’t lie and say he’s never thought about it before, though her quick appearance as Multimouse had crossed her off his _suspicious_ list early on.

As he’s staring at her, with all of the worry and disbelief that had been etched into her skin, he wonders if he had crossed her off too soon. 

The girl behind the mask has a special place in his heart, no matter the person—sans Lila. If it’s Marinette who he runs around the city fighting crime with in a skin tight red and black spotted suit, it’ll be an added bonus. 

(Because, all of the crap he spewed in _collège_ and _lycée_ about her being _just a friend_ had always been a lie. 

He hadn’t realized it until it was too late, accepting that he wouldn’t be the one receiving _that_ type of love from her. He’d persuaded himself that her friendship was enough.

And it was. Until now.) 

“You know,” he breaks the silence, shuffling slightly closer to Marinette as if he’s telling her the world’s most important secret. “I was in love with Ladybug for _years_.”

The shift on her face is priceless, even without the suspicions traveling through his brain. He know it's her, he's _sure_ of it. He just needs some sort of confirmation before he tells her.

Her lips part and her eyes widen, like a deer caught in headlines. “You—You _were_?” 

Adrien shrugs, idly kicking a rock with one of his boots. He’s glad his jacket doesn’t clash with her dress, as the black suit is simple enough. “Yeah. Kind of hard not to be, you know? She’s so inspiring with the amount of people she helps. I could stare into her eyes and get lost in how blue they are.’ He chuckles, shoving his hands into his pockets and peers up at her stricken expression. “More importantly, she never gives up, even when it’s hard. I love that in people.” 

“You do?” Marinette squeaks out, her brain-to-mouth filter gone. Her cheeks are the rosiest shade of pink, even in the darkness of the night. Her eyes don’t leave his face, as if she’s staring up at him in awe. 

Bingo. If he wasn’t sure before, he’s sure now. That’s his lady, alright. 

He allows the smile threatening to break his cheeks spread over his face, dimples and all. “Yeah. Sadly, she’s _her_ and I’m just, well, _me_.” 

“Don’t you _ever_ say that about yourself again, do you hear me? You are the nicest boy with the kindest heart I’ve ever met,” Marinette pushes herself into his space, gently jabbing her finger into his chest to make a point. “Anyone would be lucky for you to love them. Especially Ladybug.” 

“Hm. _Especially_ Ladybug?” He’s unable to help the smirk that forms on his face from her embarrassed expression. “You know, I think _I_ would be the lucky one—” 

There’s screams, a crash, and an explosion that interrupts Adrien all at once. The wedding venue is on fire, smoking filling the sky at an alarming rate. People from the reception run around the corner yelling as citizens of Paris begin to stick their heads out their windows to see what’s happening. 

Adrien sighs, holding his hand out to Marinette who all-but shoves his jacket into his hand. He slips it on, hiding his grin as he notices her taking tiny steps back out of the corner of his eye.

Just as she’s about to jet away, Adrien purposely turns fully towards her. “Mari, where are you going?” 

“Oh, I—uh. I’m going to go make sure everyone got out safely, yeah! You should stay here though and worry about the crowd.” She turns around to run off, when Adrien grabs her by the hand and pulls her into his body, ignoring the stares from their _lycée_ friends. “Adrien?!” 

“Stay safe, Marinette,” Adrien whispers, squeezing her once before letting her go, ushering her in the direction of the building. “Go, before I change my mind.” 

And she does, sprinting around the corner faster than he’s ever seen anyone run in heels. That’s his Ladybug. 

“Dude, did you just let her run back into a burning building by herself?!” 

Rolling his eyes, Adrien waves dismissively in their direction, breaking out into a jog. “I’ll be back,” he calls over his shoulder, winking in their direction. 

* * *

“Fuck Hawkmoth. I hate him,” Ladybug— _Marinette_ says to him after she casts her healing spell, a pout on her face. “I was having _such_ a good night and then that bald-headed asshole had to come and ruin it.” 

“I’m sorry?” Adrien chokes out a laugh, the two of them fistbumping with their usual _pound it_ afterwards. “What were _you_ doing?” 

Laughter fills the air as she steps in front of him, jutting the tip of her finger into his chest. “Down, kitty. I was just celebrating a special event with some friends. I was in the middle of a _very_ revealing conversation when it happened.” 

“That sucks,” he supplies with a small shrug of his shoulders, retracting his baton and slipping it back into its rightful place. He takes a seat on the roof, humming quietly. “Come sit with me for a minute?” 

They’d decided to meet back up on the _Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris_ once reporters and police showed up as it was the closest to the akuma (and the venue). The historical site had been repaired beautifully since the fire, and Ardien hopes this is as good of a place as any to tell her. 

His feelings for both Ladybug and Marinette had never fully dwinded, and knowing they’re the same person makes him fall all over again. 

“Chat, I don’t really have time. They’ll notice I’m gone and—”

“It’s important, Ladybug.” 

Ladybug’s lips purse together at the usage of her full name and listens to him, dropping in front of him so they’re facing one another whilst sitting criss-cross. “Should I be worried?” 

“You’ll probably be mad at me,” Adrien admits with a shrug of his shoulders, able to fully see her expression with his night vision. 

Worry. Confusion. Slight anger. Though the look that pierces through the most is trust. 

It settles his nerves a bit. 

“Okay, talk quick then, _chaton_. We don’t have a lot of time,” she tells him with a tap to her blinking earrings. 

_Ease her into it, Agreste. You don’t want to scare her away._ “I know your identity,” he blurts out, hand slapping over his mouth. 

Uh oh. She’s going to kill him. 

Ladybug’s eyes narrow immediately as her arms cross over her chest. It’s the same, calculating look from earlier and it sends shivers down his spine. Her lips curve into a frown, his hands aching to smooth out the downward pull of her smile with his thumb.

Then, she laughs. So bright and beautiful, so unabashed that it stuns him. “You really had me going there for a minute.” 

“I’m not lying to you,” Adrien says, as truthful as he can, scooting closer to her with a serious expression. “I didn’t mean to find out, honest. But I want you to know that me knowing who you are doesn’t change a single thing for me. It just makes me love and appreciate you even more,” he pauses, gauging her reaction, then adding a beat later, “Marinette.” 

The mirth in her eyes starts to dissipate and she covers her mouth with her hand, unable to form words. He can tell she’s trying to think of a plan, a way to get out of the situation, yet is too stunned to do anything other than stare. 

Slowly, he reaches a hand out to grab her free one as a comforting gesture, thumb rubbing small circles into it. “Hey,” Adrien whispers, smiling encouragingly over at her. “It’s okay, I promise—” 

A blinding, green light fills their visions and once it disappears, Adrien appears in front of Ladybug in his suit. “I thought I had more time,” Adrien whines, face palming with the hand that isn’t holding Ladybug’s. Plagg doesn’t say a word, whizzes into the pocket where Adrien’s hiding his camembert in a tiny container and zooms off. 

“You—I— _What_?!” Ladybug’s gripping his hand tightly, as though she’s unaware she’s doing it, her eyes wider than he’s ever seen them. “Adrien? There’s no way!” 

“It’s me, Bug,” Adrien rasps out, licking his dry lips and swallowing harshly. “It’s me, Mari.” 

“I’m not going to freak out,” Ladybug tells herself under her breath, gently removing her hand from his and hopping off the ground to pace around the rooftop. “Nope, I’m not going to—” 

Pink lights swirl around her and Adrien stares in awe as Marinette appears in front of him, looking as goddess-like in her red dress as she had prior to transforming. Tikki phases through Marinette’s bag, then comes out with a cookie and follows Plagg. 

“This is crazy,” Marinette squeaks out, hands clenching and unclenching nervously. Her heels clack over the roof as she walks, her cheeks flushing bright enough for Adrien to notice. “I mean, you sat in front of me in school for years! How did we not notice?” 

“At least we know the magic conceals us?” Adrien tries with a wince, standing up and dusting himself off. He chances a step in Marinette’s direction, heart beating faster when she doesn’t back away. “My lady—” 

“Did you mean it?” Her voice croaks as she closes the distance, a determined look on her face. Her hand finds his easily and tangles their matching sweaty fingers together. 

“Mean what?” 

“When you said that it didn’t matter who Ladybug was?” Marinette licks her lips, hope-filled eyes meeting his. 

“Yes,” Adrien rasps out as he nods his head, his forehead falling forward to rest against hers. “Of course, Mari. You’re it for me.” 

“ _Dieu merci_.” 

Adrien isn’t sure who kisses who. He thinks they may have met in the middle, a clash of lips and passion and _holy shit I’ve waited six years for this_. There’s no sparks, no fireworks that erupt in his stomach, no moment that blinds him. Instead, it feels like a slow burn that warms him from the inside out, lights him aflame and soothes out the aches in his heart. 

It feels like coming home. 

Marinette’s hand that isn’t holding his trails up the side of his arm, to the back of his neck and into his hair, carding through his golden locks. A purr rumbles through his body, and Marinette pulls back with a satisfied smirk. 

“Did you just _purr_?” 

Leaning in, Adrien presses kisses to her face. “I have—” He kisses her nose. “—no idea—” Her cheek. “—what you’re talking about.” The last kiss lands on her mouth, a short and sweet one, one that she tries to deepen by tugging him back in after he pulls back, but he doesn’t let her. “As much as I’d love to keep kissing you, we do have to go back to the wedding.” 

“I _guess_ ,” Marinette grumbles, but he knows she doesn’t mean it. He allows her to fix his hair, relishing in the feel of her hands on him. Her eyes are fond and he knows that what she’s about to say may break him. “I’m glad it’s you.” 

“I’m glad it’s you too, Mari.” 

They’re finally home.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: multibug


End file.
